"Frances! Frances!"
That was the first thing that Freya heard when she woke up. She jumped out of bed. Tim's voice sounded urgent.
"Frances! Alazan is gone!"
Freya dressed so briskly then rushed downstairs. "What? What's happened? What's happened to Alezan? Tell me!" she urged.
Tim looked at her gravely. "You will not like this," he said. "I don't think I can......" he paused.
"Go on!" said Freya. "Please tell me."
Tim stared at her for a minute then he said, "Alezan is gone from the barn........ Freya....... I think there's been a robbery."
Freya didn't answer. She was scandalised. She ran out of the house and into the barn to prove that Alezan was gone. He was. There was only the two other horses, Bruin and Bruno. Freya curled up in the barn there she cried a little. She might never see Alezan again! She closed her eyes and then she was in a doze.

"Freya! Freya! Wake up!" Someone was shaking Freya. She opened her eye and looked up to see James standing there with a strange girl beside him.
"Freya, you know Alezan's gone, right? Well, this is Ahla and she thinks that she might have seen Alezan! Ahla, you explain what you saw to Freya."
"Hello Freya, I think I saw your Alezan near here," said Ahla. She had dark hair and her eyes were dark as well, but a gentle dark. Her smile was tender and she was very kind. "I saw Alezan beside a truck with a man who had brown hair, grey eyes - I want to explain him to you so you know what he looks like if you came across him. As I was saying, he had grey eyes, very dirty blue overalls and a hat. He was also wearing something across his face. I'm not sure what it was - it looked like a bit of cloth. Anyway, he put Alezan in a horse box that was attached to the truck. Alezan looked very frightened. I didn't know that Alezan was your horse before of course, I just thought it was the man's." Ahla finished.
"Oh, poor poor Alezan!" moaned Freya.
"Don't worry - I'm sure we'll find him. The police are on their way," said James.
"Good," said Freya, though she was still very worried.

The next day came quickly. The police were there again and searching for the man.
Freya was sitting quietly in the kitchen, worrying about Alezan, when there was a knock on the door. She sprang up and opened the door. Standing there, smiling, was Rose!
"Rose!" Freya exclaimed. "It's actually you! I can't believe it! And come in. Mrs. Thornley will get you something to eat."
"Oh Freya, I've missed you!" said Rose. "I heard the other day that Alezan was missing, so I asked Miss Raven if I could come over and she said yes. Oh Freya, I'm very sorry that your horse is gone!"
"Well, the police have been searching but so far, there haven't been any luck," said Freya soberly.
Just then Mrs. Thornley came in, looking excited. "Freya, Freya! The policemen said they found the horse truck abandoned in the middle of the road! Maybe Alezan escaped!" Then, seeing Rose, she said, "Oh, hello dear. I'll fix up something for you," and she disappeared into the kitchen.
"Oh, she's such a dear," sighed Rose happily.
But Freya wasn't listening. She ran outside to see the abandoned horse truck. Tim led her down into Grate Road. That was where it was.
"Well, it does look like Alezan escaped!" said Freya. "Maybe he broke it down."
"Yes, maybe," said Tim. The police were there too and a huge truck which was loading the horse truck into it.
"Well, that's all we've found," said one of the policemen. "But I bet the man is somewhere around here." He glanced around.
"Let's get back home," said Tim to Freya. She slowly nodded. Alezan might be free from the man, but she was still quite anxious.
"What if we never find him?" she asked.
Tim laughed. "We will - I think. Don't worry, Freya."
They soon were all inside the warm dining room. Rose was even staying the night there for once. Miss Raven had allowed it.
"So, I guess the cops will keep looking for Alezan still, tomorrow," said Tim.
"Really, if they don't find that horse, I will be upset," said Mrs. Thornley. "Alezan was a handsome horse and a gentle one, too!"

That night, Freya lay awake, thinking about Alezan all alone in the dark and cold night. She was awake for a while then finally she drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Bang bang!
Freya jerked awake. The bang came again. She briskly got dressed then ran downstairs. No one was up yet and someone was knocking - well banging, at the door. So Freya opened it to see a policeman looking excited. "We found your horse, Freya! He's just over there."
Freya ran outside and there was a dirty looking Alezan.... Oh, Alezan, you're finally back Freya thought and she ran and petted Alezan all over. Then she said to the policemen, "Oh thank you! Thank you!"
One of the policemen grinned at Freya and said, "You're welcome!"
"But where did you find him?" asked Freya.
"He wasn't really quite far away, actually," replied the policeman. "He was at a broken down house eating the brown grass there. We knew it was your horse of course, so we took hurriedly took him here. And that was that."
"Oh, Alezan! You must be very hungry!" Freya said. Then she thought, Alezan must be so glad he's back, of course, and I think he must've missed me.